Dave Burnette's Commentary

Ezekiel Chapter 37

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Ezekiel
Date Penned: BC 571
Overview: Messages of Hope (c 33-48)
Theme: Restoring the People (c 33-39)
Message: The Valley of dried bones (v 1-14) The Kingdom will be reunited. (v 15-27)
 
Ezekiel: Chapter 37 Commentary
 
(37:1) this vision illustrates the promise of chapter 36, new life and a nation restored, both physically and spiritually. The dry bones are a picture of the Jews in captivity, scattered and dead. The two sticks mentioned in verse 15 through 17 represent the union of an entire nation of Israel which had divided into northern and southern kingdoms after Solomon. The scattered exiles of both Israel and Judah would be released from the graves of captivity and one day regathered in their homeland with the Messiah as their leader. This vision has yet to be fulfilled. Ezekiel felt he was Speaking to the dead as he preached to the exiles because they were only responding to his message. But these bones responded. And just as God brought life to the dead bones, he would bring life again to his spiritually dead people.

(37:4,5) The dry bones represented the people's spiritually dead condition. It is the Lord that will breathe life into your dry bones so we are encouraged to live, live through Christ.

(37:24,25) The messiah is often called David because he is David’s to send it. David was a good king but the Messiah will be the perfect king.

(37:26,27) God’s promise here goes beyond the physical and geographical restoration of Israel. He promises to breathe new spiritual life into his people so that their hearts and attitudes will be right with him and united with one another. The same processes described throughout God’s word as the cleansing of our hearts by God's spirit has found it Titus chapter 3 first John chapter 2.

(37:28) The restoration of the temple meant for more than repairing what had been damaged. The sanctuary and tabernacle symbolize God’s presence on earth and his rule in the heart of every person who will obey him. People will know God is not dead and that he loves them. Even now, our witness to God’s power and provision for us will draw others to him. 
 

 


Dave Burnette's Life Application


Dry Bones

 

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue the Book of Ezekiel with Chapter 37. In our text today we see the vision of the valley of the dry bones. This illustration is a picture of the Jews and Israel as they were scattered and dry. Then brought back to life to work as a body released from the grave through the Messiah. In making application we see the story of Israel as a testimony to Greatness and Reality of God which should cause us to be saved and live for Him. How about you? Do you see the reality of the Lord through the Nation of Israel? Let us learn from our text today and the example from our text to see the illustration of the dry bones to see that we are part of the body, and being so let us walk in the spirit of the Lord to do His Will in these last days before Jesus Returns.

 

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Ezekiel 37

Ezekiel 37

 1The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

 2And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

 3And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

 4Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

 5Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

 7So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

 8And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

 9Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

 11Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

 12Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

 13And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

 14And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

 15The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

 16Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions:

 17And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

 18And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

 19Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

 20And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

 21And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

 22And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.

 23Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

 24And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

 25And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

 26Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

 27My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

 28And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.